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(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. APPL-ETON. Fastening for-Bags;

No. 233,908. Patented Nov. 2, 1880.

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(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. APPLETONL Fastening for Bags.

No. 233,908. Patented Nov. 2, 1.880.

N. PETERS. PHDTO-LITHOGRAFHER, WAsmNGToM. D c.

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0. APPLETON. Fastening for Bags. No. 233,908. Patented Nov. 2, I880.

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TATES ATENT FASTENING FOR BAGS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 233,908, dated November 2, 1880.

Application filed June 9, 1380. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES APPLETON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Wigan, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastenings for Leather and other Bags, (for which I have received Letters Patent in England No. 606, dated 11th February, 1880;) and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it a-ppertains to make and use the same.

This invention has for its object improvements in fastenin gs for leather and other bags, and, particularly, my objects are to provide simple and effective fastenings, and to improve that class of fastenings in which lugs, clips, or projections are secured to or formed with the rings or connections by which the handles are attached to the bags, said projections being caused to turn down so as to clip or otherwise hold together the two sides ofthe mouth of a bag when the handle rings or connections are raised, as they are when the bag is carried by its handle.

in so far as concerns the throwing down of the clips or fastening devices by the strain on the handle, my improvements are supplementary to what has before been accomplished, my invention relating, as before stated, to an improvement in such handle-actuated bagfastenings. Instead of using two separate or independently-acting springs, such as heretofore employed or suggested in this type of bag-fastenings, for operating on the fastening projections or securing-clips,1 employ, as will fully be explained farther on, a spring-handle or single spring in the handle, which is con nected at its ends with and made to act on both projections or sets of pivoted clips.

The subject-matter claimed will hereinafter specifically be designated.

Any simple and suitable fastenings may be selected for use in connection with a springhandle, such as hereinafter described, in accordance with my invention. Proper fastenings, not new per se, are represented by the Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one of the Patented in England February 11, 1880.

rings or connections for attaching the handle to the bag. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the upper part of a bag with the fastenings applied to it and with the handle attached. In this figure the bag is shown closed and fastened, as it is when hanging by the handle. Fig. 4 is a simi lar view, but showing the rings or connections lying in a position which admits of the bag being opened. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 1 l in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 5, a and b are two angle-frames, by which, as is usual, the mouth of the bag is stiffened. To the outer one of these the base 0 of each handle ring or connection is riveted or fixed. The handle ring or connection, which is marked d, consists of a piece or pieces of metal constructed. as shown, upon the plan or in any other convenient form, and a rivet or piece of metal, 0, which serves as an axis. The axis connects the two sides of the piece d, and also passes through the base 0, which is between them. W'hen the parts are in the position in which they are represented in Fig. 3 the ends (1 d of the rings or connections 61 embrace the mouth of the bag and keep it closed, taking any strain which may come upon the frames at and b tending to separate them; but when the parts are in the position represented in Fig. at the projections (1 present no obstacle to the opening of the bag.

According to my invention I apply, in connection with these fastenin gs, a spring-handle. The spring-handle straightens, or tends to straighten, itself when left free to do so, and so automatically throws the handle rings or connections by which the handle is attached to the bag into a position which admits of the bag opening or being opened. One concealed and protected spring, as next described, operates upon both fastenings.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the upper part of a bag provided with fastenings such as already described, and a self straightening spring-handle. The handle and one of the handle rings or connections are shown partly in section to admit of the spring within the handle being clearly seen. The handle consists of a steel band, f, inclosed within a leather covering, f. The parts are shown in this figure in the positions they occupy when the handle is held in the hand and the bag is supported by it, and, as will be seen, the bag is fastened.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but with the parts in the position they occupy when the handle is free. It will be observed that the handle has straightened by the action of the spring within it, and so it has thrown the handle rings or connections into such positions that the bag is unfastened and ready to open. The spring-handle may in some cases be made of an india-rubber material.

According to my invention, in some cases apply spring catches or bolts, in connection with the handle rings or connections, in such manner as to retain the said rings or connections, so that when the bag is set down it does not open, but remains securely fastened until the bolts or catches are released.

It should be noticed that the tendency of the handle-spring, when performing its function, is to throw open the mouth clips or fastenings whether the retaining devices, such as next to be described, are used or not, the only difference being that when such retaining devices are employed, so as to make nse'of the entire invention, they have to be actuated to allow the spring-handle to operate upon the fastenings in the manner already explained.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a handle ring or connection with locking-projections, and also provided with a spring-catch, which, until released, retains the projections in position to prevent the opening of the bag.

Fig.9 is a plan. The base or hearing bracket is in this case made in two parts, 0 and c. The lower part, c, is shown separately by Fig. 10, and the upper part, c, by Fig.11. They are held together by screws or rivets, which also serve to connect the two-part base or hearing to the bag. The axis connecting the side pieces, (I d, is held between the parts 0 and c, which form a bearing in which it can turn. The axis is tubular and contains a plug, cl,

' and astud projects from the side of the plug through aslotted holcin the axis, as is clearly shown by the section Fig. 12. The hollow axis also contains a coiled spring, cl which presses the plug outward as far as the length of the slot will admit. The lower part of the base 0 has a recess at 0*, into which the stud projecting from the plug cl enters, and the axis is then held immovable in the base-piece; but when by pressure with the finger on the plug d the stud is displaced from this recess and brought into the groove cut at c in the piece 0, then the axis can turn freely and the bag can be opened. Other plans may be resorted to for locking the handle rings or projections, but I have found no other so convenient as that above described.

I would remark that in no case is it requisite to provide locking-proj ections on both sides of the handle rings or connections, except for the sake of symmetry in appearance.

It is not essential that the locking-projection cl should be on the exterior. It may be fixed on the axis 6 near the middle, and to fasten the bag the projection will turn down through slots cut for it in the angle-frames a and b. Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section showing such an arrangement. Fig. let is a plan, and Fi 15 is a transverse section. This plan is similar to that just previously described, and the parts being lettered to correspond with the foregoing description, further detailed explanation is unnecessary. This form, as will be seen, is ap plied to bags which are square at the top.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the manner of perfori'ning the same, I would have itunderstood thatI claim 1. The combination of the bag-mouth frames. the handle rings or connections, the fasteningprojections, and the spring-handle, these members being and operating substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, with a bag, of the handle having the inclosed spring, the pivoted handle-connections, and the fastening-proiections thereof actuated by the straightening of the spring-handle, as described.

3. The combination of the pivotal handle rings or connections, provided with the fastening-projections, and the automatically-acting or self-straightening bag-handle, consisting of the single spring or steel band f and the covering, jointed at its ends to said rings or connections, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination of the bag-mouth frames, the recessed base or bearing, the pivoted fastening projection or projections, the tubular slotted axis, the spring-plug, and its stud, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the handle rings or connec tions, the spring-handle, the fastening-projections, and the retaining catches or bolts, for the purpose described.

CHARLES APPLETON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM S. FRANCE, Solicitor and Notary Public, l Ohurchgate,

Wigtm.

J OHN ALLAN, 62 Scholes, Wlgtm, Sollcltors Clerk. 

